NEXT-CENTURY REGULATORY TOOLS
The APEGA that emerges from its first century of service will be better equipped than ever to use the tools of self-regulation to protect the public interest. How do we know this? • Because in 2017 we concluded a comprehensive, fact-based consultation and research process, called the legislative review. • Because the review resulted in a set of practical and thoroughly debated recommendations from APEGA Council for the Government of Alberta to consider. • Because we are confident that the government sees the validity of our input and will use it to rewrite the Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act (EGP Act) and General Regulation. We began our legislative review in 2014, at the request of the province. Three years and five rounds of consultation later, we completed our submission. HIGHLIGHTS Explicit Authority. Council’s recommendations seek to clarify how authority and its delegation are described in multiple areas of our legislation, bringing APEGA in line with the best practices you’ll find in more recently updated legislation. This will reduce confusion and the potential for legal challenges. Notification. A modernized EGP Act will support notification of incidents between APEGA and other regulators and government ministries. Benefits to the public are faster resolution, better cost effectiveness, less duplication of effort, and a harmonious approach with other regulators to protect Albertans and the environment. Complaint Initiation. A key recommendation would explicitly authorize the APEGA Registrar to initiate complaints and investigations, enshrining a proactive approach when the public, workers, or the environment are put at risk. Improved Investigative and Practice Review Tools. These would allow APEGA to obtain the information from the appropriate authority needed to investigate complaints and review professional practices. Bigger Fines, New Sanctions. Public expectations have changed, making the current maximum fine of $10,000 inadequate when major incidents threaten the public interest. Along with bigger fines, the new legislation would allow for the use of creative sanctions. These sanctions could assist in correcting behaviour in other—and often more meaningful—ways.
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APEGA Annual Report 2017
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